


While We're Young

by unpredictablyreckless



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anxiety, Drinking, F/M, Illness, M/M, More tags to be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 21:13:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7523350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unpredictablyreckless/pseuds/unpredictablyreckless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A college year in the life of the friends of the Les Amis that includes spontaneous karaoke parties, hospital trips, multiple protests, road trips, late night conversations and everybody falling in love with each other. </p><p>Or, another college AU that nobody wanted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	While We're Young

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing for Les and my first time writing in a while. I have only seen the movie about three times and I haven't read the book (yet! it's on it's way) so I apologize if I get anything wrong or if the characters seem OOC. I promise I'll work on that. Hope you enjoy it!

Wednesday night’s at the Café Mussain were busy and this was due to a particularly noisy group of college students who would often be there. This group of students were known as Les Amis. They were a group of friends who came to the Café every week to discuss and plan their protests, which often happened. The group of students were led by a tall blonde man with curly hair, called Enjorlas, whose voice was always heard. He was their leader. The group was made up of about nine students who all majored in different subjects. They would all try and meet every week to see if there was anything they could hold a rally for and protest about. Enjorlas, being the leader, would try and find something but most of the topic wouldn’t be of anything interesting.

They wouldn’t often accomplish anything during these meetings as they would end after an argument between the leader and another black curly haired boy. The others would just stand back and watch their two friends argue with each other until it was time for their argument to end with one of them storming out.

This was a regular night for the students of Les Amis. For anyone that knew these boys, would know that were an odd group of individuals. If you didn’t know who they were, you wouldn’t have expected them to be friends at all and yet somehow they managed to make it work.

It was the beginning of October. The weather was starting to get nippier as the days went on and on this particular morning, the streets seemed to be a lot more noisier than usual. At least Grantaire seemed to think so but he also thought the noise was partly due to the hangover he was currently nursing. This had been the third night in a row where he had gone out and gotten drunk. This was normal for Grantaire, but this morning had been the first time in a while where he had woken up in an alley and unaware of his surroundings. Luckily for him nobody had taken any of his clothes, phone or the little money he had left over.

When he been sober enough to take in his surroundings, he had realised that he was nowhere near his own apartment and with the way he was feeling he really didn’t want to walk a good hour to get home. It was then he realised that the closest person nearby was Enjorlas. Enjorlas was the last person he wanted to see that morning. He just what would happen if he had showed at his place hammered.

“ _Grantaire, this is the third night this week you’ve gone out. Don’t you get of drinking all the time. Can’t you see that you’re wasting your life.”_

It was a speech that he had heard many of times in his life. He was starting to think he should record his friend every time he does one. It would certainly save Enjorlas from doing so. He winced when he saw the time on his phone. The bright numbers of ‘seven thirty seven am’ looked back to him. Enjorlas was going to kill him.  He had just enough money in his pocket that got him a taxi back to Enjorlas. Luckily Enjorlas had been awake when Grantaire had texted him to say that he was on his way and judging by the reply he got back from his friend… he knew that Enjorlas was pissed at him.

The noise of the buzzer for Enjorlas’s building was just as loud as the noise from the street outside. Grantaire couldn’t wait to get inside and just lie down. He was really beginning to hope that Enjorlas would save the speech for later. When Enjorlas opened the door, Grantaire winced again when he saw the look on Enjorlas face. His friend looked angry but he couldn’t help but think that not all of it was because of him.

Enjorlas had stood at the door, looking exhausted and wrecked. His curls were almost losing their bounce and he had bags under his eyes, Grantaire wondered when the last time his friend got a good night sleep. He also couldn’t help but notice that Enjorlas had looked a bit paler than usual. It was unusual for Grantaire to see his friend like this. If Enjorlas looked like this, he could just imagine how awful he looked.

Before Grantaire had gotten a chance to say something, Enjorlas got there before him. “Get in.” He ordered, his tone irritated and his voice sounding a bit croaky.

Grantaire gave him a small smile before making his way into the apartment. He saw that Enjorlas had left a glass of water and tablets on the table for him, along with a blanket on the couch. He turned around and went to say something.

“What?” Enjorlas asked annoyed.

Grantaire shook his head. “Nothing. Just… thank you.” He said knowing it probably was a good idea to not get on Enjorlas bad side today. He tried not to wince at how bad he sounded.

The expression on Enjorlas face softened. “I wish you would take better care of yourself, Grantaire.” His friend told him softly.

“I know.” Grantaire replied, giving him a small smile wondering if Enjorlas could tell if it was fake or not.

Enjorlas nodded. “I have a class in twenty minutes and I won’t be finished until twelve. Try not to be here when I’m back.”

“Will do!” Grantaire watched his friend as he got his bag ready he was just about to leave when Grantaire stopped him. “Are you well my friend?”

Enjorlas raised an eyebrow at him. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

Grantaire smirked at him. “Probably.” He then turned serious. “But are you well my friend? You look a little worse for wear?”

Grantaire thought he would get an honest reply from him. “I am perfectly fine, Grantaire. Now if you’re finished. I must leave.”

Grantaire nodded and Enjorlas opened the door. “Apollo.” Grantaire called once more.

“What?”

“Thank you.” Grantaire said softly. He could have sworn he saw his friend’s mouth twitch upwards before he left the apartment.

Grantaire sighed and made his way to the couch. He grabbed a tablet and took a big gulp of water. He settled himself down into the couch and wrapped the blanked around him.

* * *

 

Enjolras had, had a particularly rough night last night. They were only a month into this semester but yet he could already feel the workload catching up to him. It didn’t help that he was having trouble sleeping. Last night was one of the worsts so far. He had only gotten what felt like four hours of sleep last night and it didn’t help that Grantaire had called and asked if he could crash at his for the rest of morning.

Luckily for Grantaire, Enjolras had a class at eight o’clock that morning so it suited him okay. But when Grantaire had reached his apartment he decided against because he figured that Grantaire was feeling just as bad as he was, even if Enjolras wouldn’t admit it. Besides, he’ll just do it at the meeting later, they always end up in an argument He didn’t exactly feel good about leaving Grantaire alone in his apartment, but he knew that the boy would just sleep it off.

The coffee shop that Enjolras goes to every morning was quite busy. He was already running late – his morning lecture starting in ten minutes – and there were at least five people in the queue already but Enjolras had to have his coffee. He was in such a rush that by the time he left the coffee shop he didn’t even realise that he had rushed passed Courfeyrac, Combeferre and Boussuet were all sitting at a table.

Combeferre blinked as he felt a rush of wind go by. He looked up just in time to see a person with blonde curly hair go out the door. “Was that Enjolras I just saw running out the door?” He asked, looking at the other two.

Bahorel looked up from the book he was reading. “Was it? I didn’t notice.” He then frowned and looked at his watch. “Shouldn’t he be in a lecture right now?”

Combeferre shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. “Who knows with Enjolras.”

Just then the door of the coffee shop open again and a group of three came entered bringing another gust of wind with them.

“Would somebody please keep that damn door shut.” Courfeyrac mumbled as he tried to keep the pages in the book from turning over.

“It’s a public place my friend, people are allowed to enter.” Courfeyrac looked up and saw the rest of their friends - minus Grantaire, Eponine and Marius – standing in front of them. Jehan had spoken as he was smiling down at him. Courfeyrac smiled back at him ignoring the twinge in his stomach as he did so.

“Is everyone here?” Jehan asked, shrugging off his coat and taking at seat next to Bahorel and across from Courfeyrac.

“Almost everyone. I have no idea where Grantaire, Eponine or Marius are.” Courfeyrac told him.

“We think we saw Enjolras leaving about five minutes ago.” Bahorel added.

“You think?” Feuilly asked, amused.

“A gust of wind left the building bringing along with it a mass of curly hair.” Combeferre said.

“Ah.”

Joly appeared with Bossuet carrying at least three cups of coffee. “Here you go Jehan.” He said handing over the coffee. “And good morning everybody.” He gave everyone a big smile.

“What’s gotten you so happy this early?”  Courfeyrac replied but Joly just shrugged and drank a sip of his coffee.

“I wish we could stay. But we both have a lecture on soon.” Bossuet told them.

“I must go as well, I’m afraid.” Combeferre added, cleaning up his things.

“I take it the meeting is still on later?” Bossuet asked.

“We haven’t heard anything from Enjolras informing us otherwise.” Courfeyrac replied.

Bossuet nodded and waved goodbye and the rest of them of left. Courfeyrac suddenly realised that it was just himself and Jehan left and that made him feel nervous. He was beginning to feel this way around Jehan lately and he couldn’t understand why. But every time it was just the two of them Courfeyrac suddenly lost the ability to talk, his hands would feel clammy and he would feel something in his stomach.

“Are you alright Courf?” Jehan asked.  Courfeyrac looked up from his book and saw that Jehan was looking at him worried. “You’ve started to look clammy of all of a sudden. Are you getting sick?”

Courfeyrac smiled warmly back at his friend. “I am fine, Jehan. The stress has been getting to me that’s all.”

Jehan raised his eyebrows. “The stress? You don’t fool me as the type of person who gets stressed.”

Courfeyrac shrugged. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.”

“Well then, perhaps you would like me to help you out. It might things easier on you.” Before Courfeyrac knew what was happening, Jehan had moved seats and had sat down right beside him.

Courfeyrac turned and saw Jehan smiling at him broadly and Courfeyrac couldn’t help but return it and he was suddenly glad that Jehan was there beside him.

* * *

Enjolras returned to his flat at a quarter past twelve and he was even more exhausted than he had been when he left in the morning. His two morning lectures had dragged on and he found himself not listening in either of them. He was really hoping that the professor’s didn’t announce that there would be at test any time soon.

He entered his apartment to find that Grantaire hadn’t left yet. The younger boy was fast asleep on his couch, his back to him. Enjolras tried not to make noise as he closed the door behind him. He slowly walked over to his friend and took a look at him and Enjolras had to admit he looked awful. He didn’t really get a good look at him before he left this morning but now. Now he wished he almost hadn’t.

He couldn’t understand why Grantaire does these sorts of things. Every week the boy would go out and drink himself silly. He would show up to their meetings either hungover or still drunk. It does neither of them any good because in the end the two of them just seem to argue.  He’s tried to help out Grantaire he really has, but nothing seems to get through to him.

Enjolras sighed and went to refill up the glass of water and placed another tablet beside it. He slowly made his way to his and flopped down onto it. He had another class in two hours, he could easily get another two hours sleep before then.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Once again I apologize if anything seems off. But please leave a comment - it would be nice :)


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